SSI Lubricants buys Westside warehouse

SSI Lubricants LLC, based in Winter Haven, bought a West Jacksonville transportation warehouse, but defers comments about its plans to open there.

CFO Robert Young said Thursday the company wanted to defer comment.

SSI Lubricants paid $1 million for the 5.65-acre site at 402 Ellis Road S., which includes a warehouse of about 22,000 square feet, property records show. The sale was recorded Sept. 5.

The seller was CTSI Holdings LLC. CTSI had purchased the property in 2007 from Courier Transportation Services Inc., which bought it in 1995, records show.

The structure was built in 1996.

The SSI Petroleum website, ssipetro.com, says the company has been servicing Florida businesses with fuels and lubricants for 48 years and it features the Castrol and StarFleet Lubricants logos.

The site shows the company has three locations – 5131 Recker Highway in Winter Haven, 1281 S. Main St. in Belle Glade and 402 Ellis Road in Jacksonville.

It also shows the company uses seven port terminals in Florida, including in Jacksonville.

A sales listing for the property describes it as 16,000 square feet, including 11,200 square feet of warehouse space and 4,800 square feet of office space.

According to its site, SSI Petroleum was established in 1964 in Belle Glade and was originally known as Sugar Supply Inc.

“SSI rapidly became the largest fuel and lubricant supplier to the sugar industry in rural Palm Beach County,” it said.

“In the years that followed, the business expanded to include the marine, transportation, construction, mining, automotive and manufacturing industries throughout South and Central Florida,” it said.

The company said it remains a family owned and operated company and maintains relationships with many of its original customers.

According to the site, the company offers fleet fueling, equipment rental and emergency generator fueling, among other services.

Advanced Disposal scouting sites

Advanced Disposal Chief Marketing Officer Mary O’Brien said Thursday the Jacksonville-based company has reviewed “multiple headquarter location sites in Jacksonville, Charlotte, Atlanta and Milwaukee” for its base of operations once its pending deals are completed.

Asked about Jacksonville, specifically rumors about potential interest in the SunTrust Tower Downtown, O’Brien did not comment about that or any specific site.

“In regards to Jacksonville, the sites range from the south side of Duval County to Downtown. No short list has been created as it is premature to presume a headquartered location while four cities are developing and proposing competing incentive packages,” she said in an emailed response.

Advanced Disposal is based in the Baymeadows area of Southside. O’Brien said the company needs 25,000 square feet of space.

The company is seeking about $700,000 in City and state incentives in Florida.

According to a Jacksonville City Council project summary, Advanced Disposal Services Inc. is considering consolidating the corporate headquarters of Interstate Waste Services based in Basking Ridge, N.J., and Veolia Environmental Services Solid Waste North America based in Milwaukee, which the company is purchasing.

“The proposed consolidation of the corporate headquarters for the three businesses in Jacksonville, (operating as Advanced Disposal Services) will result in a fully integrated environmental services company operating in 20 states with annual revenues of approximately $1.4 billion, a fleet of over 3,000 trucks, 47 landfills, 92 transfer stations and 5,450 employees,” the summary said.

It said Advanced Disposal expects the consolidation will retain 35 headquarters employees and create 85 new, full-time jobs in 2013. The 85 new corporate headquarters jobs will pay an average annual wage of $112,209 plus benefits, it said.

The company also proposes to invest $8.2 million in leasehold improvements, machinery, equipment, furniture and technology infrastructure. The summary said it is engaged in a detailed site selection process that includes Jacksonville, Milwaukee, Charlotte and Atlanta.

”Milwaukee, the headquarters for Veolia, has move-in ready space and Wisconsin has an attractive incentive package to assist in the relocation. Both Charlotte and Atlanta offer a centralized location for efficient travel and attractive incentive packages to cover relocation expenses and capital build-outs,” the summary said.

In Florida, Advanced Disposal requests assistance under the Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund program with a “High Impact Bonus” as well as the “recaptured enhanced value” grant program.

The summary says the expected annual wage of $112,209 is higher than 200 percent of the state average and qualifies the company for $5,000 per job under the state QTI program and an additional $2,000 per job with the high impact bonus, for a total of $595,000.

The City portion of the QTI is 20 percent of the award, up to $119,000.

The proposed REV grant would be provided annually based on the incremental increase in municipal and county ad valorem taxes paid on leasehold improvements and personal property at the project site for five years and would be capped at $100,000.

Hydradyne adds details about center

Hydradyne LLC provided more details Thursday about its plans to relocate its operations from its current 8,500-square-foot Jacksonville location to a 35,000-square-foot center being constructed along Philips Highway.

Communications Manager Sherri Smith issued a statement saying that the larger facility will better serve its customers with increased warehousing and distribution capabilities and an expanded repair service, fabrication and machine shop.

The building also will include a Parker Industrial and hydraulic hose counter to service walk-in customers, she said.

Hydradyne produces and services products for the manufacturing, construction, power generation, marine, military and original equipment manufacturing industries in the Jacksonville area and throughout Florida.

It is the largest distributor of Parker Hannifin products in North America with 29 branches in the southern United States, she said.

It recently moved its headquarters from Harvey, La., to Dallas/Fort Worth.

“Hydradyne remains focused on the quality of our products and the services we provide. These missions of high standards have prepared us to sustain market fluctuations and have enabled our company to prosper within the hydraulic industry,” Smith said in a statement.

Southeast Regional Manager Mark Richardson said in a statement that Hydradyne expects to increase its workforce “in the near future due to our expanded services and projected increase in production.”

“Our strategic investment in the Jacksonville area will allow us to extend our services to all major industries in southeast Georgia, North Florida and the growing ports of Jacksonville, Brunswick and Savannah,” he said.

The Daily Record reported last week that Hydradyne paid $1.29 million for 6.75 acres at 3919 Philips Highway in a sale that was completed July 21, 2011, and recorded Aug. 5, 2011.

The site is a block south of Emerson Street and the land was acquired from auto dealer Buddy Hutchinson.

Infinity Design Builders Inc. has submitted plans to the City to construct a 35,850-square-foot office-warehouse for Hydradyne at the site.

The building application and plans show that Infinity expects a construction cost of $2.15 million.

Hydradyne will move from the 8,500-square-foot facility it occupies on just under an acre at 5035 St. Augustine Road. It bought that land in December 1993 for $228,000 from Gateway Tile Inc.

Its website is www.hydra-dyne.com, which describes the company as a full-service fluid power distributor offering components, systems, repairs and field service.

Products include pumps and motors; hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders; and an inventory that includes fluid power components, parts and accessories.

Food notes

• The City approved renovations for Five Guys Burgers and Fries in Oakleaf Town Center, at 9630 Applecross Road, No. 106. Plans show interior tenant renovations for 2,084 square feet of space at a construction cost of $85,000. The contractor is Kasteel Enterprises Inc.

• Interior improvements were approved for the King Wok restaurant at 7001 Merrill Road, No. 22. Diversified Design Construction Inc. is the contractor for the $85,000 renovation. The space is 1,012 square feet.

PNC, VITAS projects approved

Among other renovations:

• The City OK’d a permit for Albu & Associates Inc. to renovate 11,535 square feet of space for PNC Mortgage Jacksonville at 5011 Gate Parkway, No. 200. The project cost is shown as $521,000.

• The City also approved a permit for Center Brothers Inc. of Florida for tenant build-out of space at 7406 Fullerton St., No. 105, for VITAS at a project cost of $180,500. The plans show tenant space for 5,317 square feet, including managers, admissions, medical records and other staff. VITAS is a Miami-based hospice care provider.